


Searching, searching

by midnightdrops



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bubbled, Canon, Crystal Gems, Gen, Happy Ending, Mother-Son Relationship, the Gems look for Steven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7745428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightdrops/pseuds/midnightdrops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They tried to work quickly and efficiently, their eyes scanning the view of space as they searched for a figure, a speck, /anything/, that represented a pink t-shirt or a mop of curly black hair. The tension present in the spaceship was high as the Crystal Gems searched for Steven. Neither of them knew if they would find him in time - or ever, in fact - and the mere possibility of it made them all sick to their metaphorical stomachs. </p><p>(Or, the Gems’ point of view in "Bubbled".)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Searching, searching

**Author's Note:**

> Because this episode made me feel all the feels and I LOVE the Crystal Gem family - something people seem to deny ever since they read “Forever in a Day” :p BUT Y’ALL WHAT A GREAT SEASON AM I RIGHT
> 
> I could be (and most likely am) totally wrong about what Pearl and Amethyst said during the no dialogue part - I just went with what I could read from their mouths - I’m in no way a linguistic expert!
> 
> ALSO come say hi on tumblr!! midnightdrops(.)tumblr(.)com

“STEVEN!!” Amethyst yelled, watching as Steven was pulled by the ruby he had nicknamed “Eyeball”, flying out into space with his arms stretched towards the Gems. The fusion and Amethyst stood still for a moment before Sardonyx unfused, Pearl standing still in shock, her hands covering her mouth. Garnet immediately turned to the back of the moon base and pointed to the red sphere in the corner, glancing back at the other two.

“The ship!”

The three Gems ran inside and Pearl took to the controls at once, closing the side door and pulling the ship out of the moon base airlock. Amethyst rushed to one of the windows and glanced from side to side, her face practically stuck to the glass frame as she searched for any sign of the boy who was just sucked out of the airlock. Garnet sat by the window opposite the purple gem but she sat hunched over, her hands resting above her ears.

It wasn’t possible, she hadn’t seen this as a possibility until the ruby had _glared_ at Steven, grabbing him and pulling him out with them -- _what was it with rubies and changing fate?_ And now she could see possible futures where they didn’t make it to him in time, alternate timelines where they _do_ find him, but just barely, and others where they don’t find him at _all --_

“Garnet, do you see anything?” Amethyst’s voice interrupted her thoughts from across the room and she shook her head, looking over at the purple gem.

“I can’t see him anywhere.”

Pearl pulled the ship up, and the Gems were now far from the moon, travelling in space. She remained focused, her concentration not tearing away from the view of space in front of the her. A lump formed in her throat and tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she shook her head, quickly wiping them away.

No, not right now. They had to find him first.

* * *

“I don’t see him,” Amethyst called out to the other two.

“We’ve been searching for an hour now,” Garnet turned from her seat, her expression concerned, “I can’t find him either.”

Pearl glanced at Garnet. “Do you think…” she hesitated, her voice small, “Do you think he’s been captured by Homeworld?”

The ship was filled with silence before Amethyst shook her head. “Aw, c’mon P! This is our strong Steven we’re talking about!” she smiled weakly, turning back to her window, “He’s bound to show up soon, right? Our gems give us all the stuff we need, maybe his’ll help him out, too!”

“Steven is half-human, though!” Pearl replied, standing up as her fists started to shake, “He needs nutrition and hydration every few hours, or else--”

The tall Gem didn’t bother to finish her sentence and she turned back to the main window, continuing to control the ship. Neither of the Gems asked her to continue what she was saying.

* * *

 

They tried to work quickly and efficiently, their eyes scanning the view of space as they searched for a figure, a speck, _anything_ , that represented a pink t-shirt or a mop of curly black hair. The tension present in the spaceship was high as the Crystal Gems searched for Steven. Neither of them knew if they would find him in time - or _ever,_ in fact - and the mere possibility of it made them all sick to their metaphorical stomachs.

* * *

 

At the end of second hour Amethyst let out a shaky sigh, biting her lip. It was her idea to bring the rubies to the moon, and although it had nearly worked, now they were searching for him. She couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for the reason he was pulled out, but simultaneously felt anger for the rubies’ return. If they had just _stayed_ looking for Jasper, even if it was for a _single_ day more - ugh, they just _had_ to return the same day they formed Smoky Quartz and bubbled Jasper.

No, not after she and Steven had talked it all out. Not after he had brought back her confidence and not after that fight -- oh _no._

Amethyst would keep looking for him if it meant searching for a billion years.

* * *

 

“He can breathe in his bubble, right?” Amethyst asked, turning to the other two Gems, “Like, at least he’d have oxygen or something?”

“Yes,” Pearl responded, “but it’s not enough.”

“But it’ll _be_ _enough_ until we find him, right?”

“Yes, but we don’t know _if_ \--”

“Pearl.”

All eyes were now on Garnet, who was looking out the window. She was silent for a few moments before shaking her head. “His bubble can also serve as protection. We _will_ find him in time.”

“You can see him?” Amethyst asked, her voice hopeful, but Garnet shook her head.

“We have to find him.”

“R-Right,” Pearl nodded but tears began to blur her vision and she let out a small laugh, her voice small, “I’m s-sorry, I--”

“P, don’t c-cry!” Amethyst groaned, her own voice cracking. She hopped off her seat and walked to Pearl as she wiped her own eyes, “We’ll find him, for sure! Steven is smart, he’s strong, and h-he’s--” she gulped and looked down at the ship’s floor, unable to say more.

Garnet let out a small sniffle and rose from her seat, joining her teammates at the front of the ship. She swiped her visors away, revealing three eyes with tears on the brim. The three Gems collapsed into a hug, each of them crying silently as they stood at the front of the ship.

“Space is _huge,_ though,” Amethyst managed to say, “where are we going to find him?”

“We will,” Garnet nodded, smiling and patting Amethyst’s head, “I know we will.”

Amethyst eventually started laughing through her tears and pointed at Pearl. “And you call yourself the organized, keep-yourself-together one! Look at your face!”

“Oh, A-Amethyst!” Pearl rolled her eyes but smiled at the purple Gem, wiping her eyes. “You’re crying as well, you know.”

“Oh, shush!”

Garnet chuckled and grinned at her family. “We will find him. He needs us, and we need him. No future can ever take him away from us.”

* * *

 

He was in space, surrounded by the galaxies and stars Pearl had been so eager to show him, but the fact that he was alone had turned the simple wish upside down. The mere _possibility_ that Steven could have been found by Homeworld - the thought made Pearl’s grip on the handles tighten, her lips pursing as she focused forward. She remembered how captive and confined the system was, and how it treated anyone below the Diamonds. If Steven was even _found_ by a Homeworld soldier before she could hug him again, she felt as if her Gem would shatter there and then.

She’d search for the rest of her lifetime if she had to. She wouldn’t give up.

* * *

 

Garnet would never forget how anguished Steven looked after he heard that Rose had shattered Pink Diamond.

From the moment baby Steven started talking, the Gems had decided they wouldn’t bring it up, because the war had made them all do things they wouldn’t have wanted. They didn’t expect any of this to happen - to have him hear about it from someone else.

Garnet had talked to Greg about the war before; she knew Rose would have told him some parts of it, but she knew that some parts of it were intentionally left out. She told him to make sure Steven didn’t hear about it from anyone but the Gems, who were trying to keep him safe from all of this.

From the decisions Rose had to make during the war, the ambivalence she was constantly exposed to. Garnet didn’t want to sugarcoat things for him, but she knew how Steven saw Rose. Nothing but expectations and glorious stories heaved down on his small shoulders like an anchor, and she knew that despite the Gems’ love for him, there were his own thoughts he had that they couldn’t control.

She shook her head and hunched over again, her hands by her head. Searching through the possible outcomes of their search wasn’t helping liven up her mood, but she would search through millions of negative possible outcomes if it was the slightest difference that would bring him back.

* * *

 

“There he is!!”

Pearl and Garnet turned to Amethyst, who was pointing at her window, her index finger tapping impatiently on the glass. “There he is!! He’s in his bubble!!!”

Garnet practically jumped from her seat to Amethyst, looking out the window to where she was pointing. Indeed, there was a small pink figure right next to the ship and Garnet turned.

“Pearl!” Garnet called out. “The light!!”

“Yes, got it!” Pearl turned and flipped on the ship’s outer light, the yellow glare shining on the bubble outside of the ship. “Is it him?”

“Yes!” Amethyst and Garnet chorused together, and she nearly slammed her fist on the button for the door, which opened at once in a diamond shape. Pearl put the ship on autopilot and ran to the other two Gems, who were waiting by the door, their arms stretched.

It was heartbreaking to find him floating in the dark fragments of space, alone. His arms were wrapped around his knees and his face buried, and the Gems held with baited breath as he floated up into the ship. Garnet was the first to grab the bubble as the door closed, and the pink sphere dissolved, causing an unconscious Steven to fall into her arms.

Pearl gingerly took his arm and pressed her index and middle finger against his wrist, not taking her eyes off of him. “H-He has a pulse!!” she exclaimed, pulling away. Garnet turned to him, feeling a bit more optimistic.

“C’mon l’il man!” Amethyst’s voice slightly cracked as she reached out to him, gently patting his face. “You can do it, wake up!”

“Steven, wake up!!” Garnet called out to him, holding him by his shoulders “Steven!!”

“Nghh…”

The Gems let out a huge sigh of relief as the boy across from them stirred slowly, confusion prominent in his features before he blinked, glancing at them and their surroundings. Garnet let go of his shoulders and he rest a hand on his head, his expression still surprised.

“STEVEN!!” Pearl and Amethyst were the first to hug him, tears constantly rolling down their cheeks as they held him tightly. Steven blinked once more before realization hit him and he smiled, clear drops present in his eyes too.

Pearl pulled away, opening her mouth to say something before Amethyst pointed at her.

“Look at your face!” she repeated, her expression smug. Pearl blinked but then let out a small laugh, her arm behind her head.

“Oh, Amethyst!!”

Garnet swiped her visors away and wiped an eye as she glanced down at Steven, her expression full of relief as she gently patted his head. Steven smiled in response but paused for a moment before starting to laugh, thick tears starting to roll down his cheeks. The Gems watched him in concern before they began to laugh too, their arms all interlinked with each other’s, their family complete again.


End file.
